


The Prince's Cartographer

by MagmaManti



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Friends to Lovers, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Mild Language, No Smut, Other, POV Second Person, Reader is gender neutral, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Some Humor, Strangers to Lovers, also there will be scuffles with monsters and fight scenes, and also a bit of a douche, because hyrule is a dangerous place, before link awakes, fic takes place after the great calamity, for [insert reason here], reader is a wandering cartographer, reader is hylian, very plot heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-18 02:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11282136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagmaManti/pseuds/MagmaManti
Summary: As a traveling mapmaker (with probably the world's most cynical attitude), you personally knew the dangers that continuously ravaged the land of Hyrule. You chose not to sugarcoat how miserable the aftermath of the great calamity was, but you still were drawn to Hyrule's natural beauty. It was the driving force behind your profession, and you would frequently stop to immortalize your surroundings on paper. One day, to your bewilderment, a certain zora prince takes interest in your work.You would be content with this, had you not found out the reasons why― Zora's Domain needed a cartographer, and Prince Sidon was all the more willing to enlist you. If there was a goddess, she was probably up in the heavens howling at your luck.





	1. A Handful of Rupees

Hyrule used to be an extravagantly breathtaking land. It was a place of harmony amongst the tribes who called it their home, and a nation that could have been considered the most peaceful in the entire world. The people who made up this sacred country all gave a piece of themselves to cultivate the kingdom they called home.

The rito tended to the sky and snow-kissed mountains. The zora flourished beneath the sea and rivers that veined through Hyrule. The gorons colonized deep in a mountain of boiling magma and embered air. The gerudo endured the harsh mystic sands of the vast desert. Finally, the hylians populated the calm pastures, claiming the land’s fresh soil as farmland.

It was an era of golden prosperity and bliss― with trees that drew towards the skies like claws exclaiming their love of the world and its beauty. The Soft grass of the kingdom’s plains would paw at your ankles and bless your journey, wishing you a safe voyage home, with golden puffs of clouds draped overhead, raining the love of the goddesses to the life below them. A pure white castle, standing amongst all and beaming at Hyrule’s heart, tied it all together.

You wondered, had you been alive over a hundred years ago, if this description actually fit Hyrule before the great calamity. As always, you couldn’t prevent the scoff that escaped you.

As you knew, you weren’t a naive child that believed good would reign over a realm of living beings, especially for such a long period of time. Not a day goes by without peace being broken by petty quarrels, acts of betrayal, and most of all― desire. Everyone desired something in the kingdom of Hyrule, whether the wish be immoral or not.

But it is no longer a kingdom. It would always end up being this way for poor Hyrule. Frankly, you’d be amused to find out how worse it could get in its current situation.

I’d be cursed for saying that out loud, you sneered to yourself as you flipped a page of your yellowing sketchbook, scratching out lines with a nubbed charcoal stick. The papers were disoriented and ugly. Time had taken their toll on this poor book… and you adored its tenacity. Currently you were sitting near the sandy banks of the Lanayru Bay, cushioned by patches of lush greenery.  
Behind you was a perfectly pitched tent encasing both your rations of food and your supplies. As an added bonus, the tent was also shielded above by a small rocky cliff that molded itself into a perfect shelter. You made sure to keep a great distance from the bay directly southeast of you and instead kept watch from afar, as water spells trouble for a couple of reasons.

If something was deathly important, you would find some inconceivable way to squander it. Something might jump out of the beautiful blue ripples if you sat too close to the sandy shore. Perhaps you would be foolish enough to drop your valuable sketchbook into its shallow depths? The best way to ensure your safety (along with your book’s well-being) was to forsake going near water without a proper reason in the first place.

Monsters exist, and you know firsthand that some prefer hunting in water. Foul, hideous lizalfos and bulbous octoroks immediately came to mind and made you shudder. Lacking a calm and collected mindset would usually mean bubbling into a fit of panic at the presence of such monsters. Just the thought of an octorok suddenly jumping out from hiding was terrifying― you could die from a right bludgeoning!

Despite your reasons for keeping away from water, you couldn’t help but to halt your travels to simply… stare into the incredible canvas that was the remains of Hyrule’s natural beauty. The bits and pieces of it that weren’t tainted by calamitous sludge, that is.  
There were numerous times where you set up camp for the night just to get a full picture scribbled into your notebook. Being enchanted by the frosted mountains that framed your periphery and the light that reflected off of water pools became a welcome distraction. It was a getaway that compelled you to capture it in both charcoal and pastel alike.

Hyrule, you begrudgingly moaned. What did you do to deserve this?

You kept sneaking quick glances at the scenery in front of you to get a feel for the contour. The fragile tool (a charred black piece of vine charcoal) danced across the pages in swirling motions as you began detailing the small patches of flora.

Drawing was just one of the things you did, but you... weren’t an expert. However, having a wider skillset could usually save you in terms of finances, and someone might want to buy your drawings. Maybe they’d even throw you two silver rupees for a clean, fine-inked map of Kakariko village! Or whatever place they wanted a map of, as you had quite a large number of them on your person for travelling purposes.

Cartography, for how tedious the profession was, primarily grounded itself as your means to an end. Mapping most of the world around you did not require a scholarly background (as you originally thought it would), and in fact, was simply a bigger scale of measurement. If you could find out how tall a gnarled oak tree was in relation to you, you could be a cartographer.

You hummed, swapping out your charcoal and reaching around for your smudging tool. The roll of solid paper worked wonders, and you were finding yourself accustomed to its method of shading the water depths. After a bit of shading, you could do with adding more dramatic tones, then add some highlights to make it glisten…

In the prolonged time you were focusing on shading the scene in front of you, something had popped its head slightly out of the water and disturbed the bay’s calm surface. You lifted your head and sent another glance.

Your heart almost leapt out of your throat.

A creature. It was a brilliant red, with golden eyes peering at you just above the water line. Your eyes met and froze in place.

It felt almost surreal being stuck in this situation. Did you dare run, cry out, or stay silent? Whatever monster it was, it mattered not. It may have been a mere ten seconds but your hammering heart claimed it had been several hours in your current state.

The beast moved swiftly, bobbing in and out of the water until you recognized the shark-person hybrid. The lack of nostrils, the ghostly pale face, the slitted eyes under a large crimson hood; particularly finned, and the head itself could have been mistaken for a breed of shark if the neck were kept hidden beneath the water. They grew progressively taller as they made their way towards the shore.

You were both mightily and sheepishly relieved at the revelation. The aforementioned zora was coming up to approach you, and you inwardly grimaced at their concerned expression. Now look what you’ve done.

“Excuse me! I am so terribly sorry to have startled you, young one! I wanted to call out to you, but you noticed me before I could establish my presence.”

You realized that it wasn’t perspective playing tricks on you― this was indeed a massive zora and nothing else. Maybe if you were blunt enough... the fish would just leave? Eyeing them with fading interest, you lowered your gaze back onto your old sketchbook. “Either way would’ve scared me.”

“Of course, pardon my intrusion. That isn’t what I intended.” The zora hesitated, waiting for you to say more.

Smudging tool in hand, you refused to look up at the overgrown fish. They spoke awfully polite to you despite being a complete stranger. Even moreso as a hylian. Didn’t zoras have an intense dislike of hylians after the great calamity? That’s what you figured, from the conversations you would hear at the stables. Travelers― notably of hylian descent― were specifically hassled by the elderly zora that rooted themselves to the domain whenever they neared the kingdom. Word soon spread that they blamed the royal family (as well as the entire hylian race) for the disaster that befell Hyrule.

It was also rare or perhaps impossible to see the zora anywhere outside the Lanayru province. Perhaps they couldn’t venture far from the waters that sustained them? You did not know everything for a fact. But you did not pry, and whether or not the zora held such mentalities did not affect you whatsoever.

They’re not entirely wrong to blame us, though, you thought.

If this shark so much as asked you what you were drawing in the middle of the damn wilderness, you were going to resort to the silent treatment. You hated being caught in pointless conversations. Pursing your lips, you heard the zora shift awkwardly in the grass and the sound of clothing being adjusted.

“Well,” They cleared their throat before continuing. “It is of the utmost importance that I get back to my destination quickly. Do you perhaps know the direction to Hateno village from here?”

With a scrutinizing gaze, you observed the strange-looking zora in front of you. You hadn’t noticed before, but they were dressed rather extravagantly for an average zora. Wealthy or royal, you did not know, but it would explain the gussy accent.

“Ah! Asking so much of you without a proper introduction…”

They sure knew how to drip flattery like loquacious syrup, didn’t they?

The fancy zora stood taller and pointed a thumb back to himself with the most charming grin a fish could produce, their sharp teeth shining.

“I am Prince Sidon of Zora’s Domain! It is a pleasure to meet you, comrade!”

You stared back in the most uninterested gaze a hylian could muster and said nothing. The prince faltered at your less-than-friendly demeanor, smile dropping faintly and slowly lowering his hand. He lifted back up when he finally heard your words― much to your chagrin.

“You’re looking for Hateno from here?” You drawled a bit incredulously as you reached towards your side and pulled out a similarly weathered book filled with your stash of maps.

With a small pause, you flipped through the large number of pages until you had found one― specifically showing a crowded Hateno nestled west of Zelkoa pond and Lake Sumac.

It took a moment, but you remembered the trouble that came with drawing this damn map in the first place; having to sketch out the lake, pond, and town from the ridges of Madorna Mountain to get an accurate visual. You then had to travel all the way back down to measure the distances between landmarks. It was a pain in the ass, but the mountain gave you the perspective you needed for three new maps: Nirvata Lake, Naydra snowfield and the Spring of Wisdom just east of the snowfield to boot.

It’s exhausting work and you still groan over it, but cartography brings a lot of rupees your way.

You pulled the map on your lap and eyed it before searching your memory. The prince leaned a bit closer to examine the cartogram you held.

“We’re currently… that is Lanayru Bay, correct?” You pointed behind the prince to the flowing river he emerged from. The zora nodded diligently.  
“Then this is the Samasa Plain. The East Gate on Lanayru Road is directly south from here. South of that is Nirvata Plateau, avoiding the Purifier Lake since there have been signs of a hinox living there. From there, you keep heading southeast towards Hateno village, and you’d have to be an idiot to miss it.” You paused a moment and leered at your map; the route you described involved vigorous amounts of climbing.

“But that’s if you don’t mind taking the mountainous route. There are monsters along the plateau. If you want to make a beeline for Hateno, it’s better than following the roads and circling the wetlands. Might as well add a couple weeks travelling that way, more if you include ambushes.”

You abruptly closed the cartography collection, set it aside, and attempted to reach your sketchbook before coming to a complete stop.

Prince Sidon, at some point during your explanation, lifted his eyes from the map and locked his gaze directly onto you. His expression was overwhelmed with awe, almost like a young child bewitched by a cheap magic show― and you found yourself completely thrown off on how to respond to his enraptured stare.

As if breaking from a spell, Sidon shook his head abruptly and blinked. His eyes still remained wide and focused.

“Forgive me for staring! It’s just that you… you memorized this?”

“I... not everything.” Reaching again and grabbing the sketchbook you needed, you placed it on your lap with a blank look. As much as you wanted to go back to ignoring the fish prince, you couldn’t stop an explanation from tumbling out. “I just prefer to visit Hateno frequently. Peddling maps, is all.”

You wished you hadn’t spoken at all. Why in Hylia’s name did you give the overgrown shark leverage instead of ignoring him until he went away? This only proved to fuel the zora’s curiosity like some sort of proverbial bait. The man visibly brightened and a wide smile spread across his face, which only emphasized his excitement as he stood.

“By the goddesses, amazing!” Prince Sidon practically squealed. You jumped slightly at his volume.

“A hylian cartographer in such close proximity to Zora’s Domain! That in itself is a wonderful coincidence, but it does not compare to the fact that you are so proficient at your craft. You gave such precise directions by word in an instant, and you happen to sell a collection of maps that you drew yourself?!”

For goddess’ sake. Great going, you daft imbecile.

You subconsciously clung to your vine charcoal and coughed. Then reluctantly nodded. This silence proved not to discourage Sidon nor dampen his enthusiasm as he wore a hopeful smile.

“Wonderful! You see, the zora rarely venture from the domain, so it is difficult for us to get any maps of certain regions without tediously travelling to the village and acquiring one. Even then, there is the occasional disappointment when finding out that no one residing there specializes in the craft...”

Sidon had dropped to his knees at an incredible speed, the metal accessories and golden chains adorning his shoulders clinking together audibly. His stance was that of an enlivened fish on the verge of proposing a deal. You could always sense when someone was willing to buy; after selling your work for as long as you did, you became tuned to the shift of an impending sale.

It still didn’t stop you from shrinking at his hulking posture. He might as well have been the titanic son of a hinox from his sheer size. This guy is a prince?

“I really do pardon my intrusion,” he says, looking you right in the eye. “But I am in dire need of your mapmaking. It is crucial that I obtain graphs correctly detailing landscapes and routes to any village near the domain.” 

“200 rupees normally, 300 for the hard-to-get ones.”

Sidon blinked at the sudden response before processing your words. Meanwhile, you were desperately trying to hide how baffled you were at his request. You could not help the sneaking suspicion that the so-called prince charming could be lying about his identity. Or better yet, that he was trying to flaunt his position in the hopes that you’d give away your hard-earned maps for free.

The thought brought a spark of caution. If this zora thought he could get you to lower the prices of your goods― despite all the blood, sweat, and tears that you’ve expelled in the first place to ink them into existence― he was dead wrong. You’d give them away over your cold, rotting corpse.

“Ah, perfect! If that’s the case, I have enough here for twenty or so. That is, if you have that many available for purchase?”

Speaking of corpses. You were pretty sure that your body ceased all normal function at “twenty or so.”

The red prince’s smile was slowly slipping into an expression of concern at your stunned silence― though he was uncertain as to what caused this sudden ailment. Prince Sidon cocked his head with great worry, leaning closer to face you eye-to-eye, before waving a large hand in front of your glazed gaze.

“P-Pardon me... are you feeling alright, dear hylian? You look a bit ill.”

Words wavered despite your best efforts. “Yes, I uh, have way more than that available for p-purchase... that meet the requirements. And more.” 

You deeply inhaled and attempted to regulate your breathing as you brought a hand to your forehead, keeping the cold sweat from pouring in your eyes. He can’t be serious, there’s no way he could possibly buy twenty maps in one sitting. Nobody does that. No one had ever done that in your life as a cartographer.

Sidon’s expression still retained a hint of worry, but a cheery demeanor enveloped the fish once again. “Splendid! May I browse through your collection and see what you have to offer? Sadly I didn’t bring enough to buy out the entire lot, but I can return for the rest--”

The zora was cut off by you promptly grabbing and flinging the book between you (at a speed even you didn’t think you could possibly reach) as you slammed it down on the flourishing grass. Quickly, the book was flipped to the Necluda regioned portion of your work. Multiple yellowing canvases were splayed, showcasing every crucial landmark closest to (or within) a village that resided there. You thanked the stars that the Necluda region of Hyrule had the greatest number of villages; you explored most of it and gained a healthy understanding of the terrain.

And now, you were going to make a killing. At least, you thought with dwindling glee, if he can prove that he actually has rupees in the first place.

Prince Sidon was stunned by the girth of your map book, and right as you began to despair the chance of him changing his mind― he rewarded you with a mirthful grin that could blind the sun itself. You felt uncomfortable at the way his slitted eyes dilated in his joy, but at the same time… you could not tear your own gaze away.

It drained you socially, how this zora could give off an aura of unbiased hope as he gathered up all the maps he could buy. Your attention was forcibly drawn to a light clinking that came not from his various accessories, but from a fat velvet pouch that clung to the intricate belt around his waist. You felt your breath hitch as he untied it, grabbed your hand, and emptied the contents of the pouch into your extended palm.

“Absolutely amazing, my hylian friend,” he praised once more, the large golden rupees glittering under the sun’s rays and shining a color that mimicked the prince’s eyes. “I will return post haste for the rest tomorrow! If you are still here, that is? Perhaps we could meet elsewhere!”

The shark prince began loquaciously rambling off other options to exchange more maps, commending you on your great work and explaining how this will surely benefit the zora kingdom in the future. But you weren’t listening.

You sat absolutely dumbfounded at the charitable kindness of this fish. Moreso, you eyed the abundance of rupees piled in your palm.

How you didn’t faint from the sight of overwhelming riches was something you never figured out.


	2. The Prince's Plea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unexpected meeting between the two, the cartographer and Prince Sidon reflect on the exchange. However, the prince has a bit more difficulty explaining himself than he originally intended... but that never stopped him before.

Under the solicitous jowls of the cave you called shelter, you sat cross-legged and listened. Rain surged towards the earth, and it seemed the irate clouds were all the more willing to drown you with their tears.

But that didn’t stop you from setting up camp in a perfect little crevice, by the perfect little shore. You had set up a tent to keep the wetness out, and both you and your belongings remained perfectly dry. The rainfall couldn’t even kill you to begin with, though― not here, and certainly not outside. Hyrule may be generous with storms, but it never threatened to swallow the inhabitants. In fact, it was one of the things about nature you were the least afraid of.

Though, you thought with great discomfort at the loud rolling crackle that sliced through the air and beat against your ears, the storm is downright furious.

The notion lingered in your mind for only a second and you shooed it away in favor of the pile of gold in front of you. You counted the number of rupees more times than you could remember, ad infinitum, unable to look away from the glorious profit. Although the fish prince’s purchase had depleted nearly all of your map cache (specifically maps set in the Lanayru region), there was not a speck of remorse on your psyche. Who would have thought that Hylia had enough generosity in her eternal soul to turn you, the most hapless tool in all of Hyrule, into the luckiest hylian alive?

She must have finally gotten word of your discontentment and decided that, judging from your behavior with nearly everyone you came across, riches were the only key to your happiness. The goddess absolutely hit the mark in that case― and you didn’t even have to lift a finger to receive your reward in full.

Altruism be damned! Your pitiful life of having to rely on the munificence of others was finally coming to an end!

You plucked a sizable rupee from your treasure pile and measured its heft in your palm. It carried more weight than a silver rupee, although the size was only partially to blame. You pulled out a deliciously scarlet rupee from your pouch and compared the two, realizing that the more expensive a rupee valued, the denser the material.  
A greedy smirk bloomed as you pressed the prize to your lips and kissed it. The gem welcomed the gesture.

An abrupt burst of thunder let out a guttural roar that shook your heart and startled you, making you drop your pride and joy. You recovered after a moment of clutching your hammering chest, allowing your rapid heartbeat to slow down. Reprimanding yourself for your jumpy behavior was a given, but the reaction did remind you to stay alert― especially for the sake of your newly acquired riches. Losing said wealth would result in you throwing yourself to the rusted guardians that scoured the earth.

You quickly swept the golden gems into your rupee pouch and tugged at the thick string that acted as a close for the bag. For maximum security, you tied another string around the end to ensure that the money would be stored away safely.

Speaking of staying vigilant, your mind began to wander back to your first meeting with the sickeningly charitable prince. His name was a little difficult to recollect at first, but to your surprise, you actually remembered a customer’s name! Even if your memory was jogged by the fact that this particular patron made you one of Hyrule’s most affluent citizens the a span of a few seconds.

Regardless, you hadn’t even noticed Prince Sidon at first. You stiffened slightly as you realized you were staring down at your sketch far too long to even notice a mere disturbed ripple on the bay’s surface. How long was he there for? Better yet, how long had he been watching?

You let out an agitated scoff. While his original intentions had indeed been for simple directions, you couldn’t help but feel that with the way he carried himself, he was probably admirably watching you draw from a distance. Perhaps he was thinking about how wonderful it was to see a hylian traveler so enthused about nature that they’d sit down for a spell and copy it down. Maybe he even felt excited to see an exquisite traveler such as yourself pursuing such a noble talent, and was praising your efforts from the shallow waters with a smile.

Bootlicking, apple-polishing freak, you thought to yourself with a tired hum.

What sort of person just… fawns over strangers like that? To you, Sidon’s way of interacting with others (assuming he did the same with every newcomer he came across) was a mystery you would probably never solve. Nor did you want to.

The rain was now a controlled pitter-patter of drops pelting against the outside world, contrasting the ferocious beast it had been before. Maybe now you could set aside your thoughts of the day and get some well-needed rest; obsessing over the pellets of gold you possessed certainly wasn’t doing any good for your fatigued appearance. That’s what you supposedly looked like, according to the whispers of the other travellers and merchants who happened to be spending the night at the same stable as you. Lovely to hear.

You leaned over to the lit lantern, eyes flickering over the small flame that danced within it, and blew out the remaining light. One thing you had found out during your first few nights camping was that the wilderness sought out those who read by fire deep into the night, and hunted them down.  
You’d have come up with a proper metaphor, something comparing you to a moth near an open flame, but you were too tired to think of anything witty.

Anything you had to fear at this moment was shut out by the comfort of your sleeping bag. The light smell of smoke wisped into nothingness, your money was safely hidden away, and your materials neatly packed. A night of pure solitude, along with the dimming feeling of victory, was something you could grow accustomed to. If only it occurred more frequently! It did not matter what fate and its plucky gods had to throw at you― nothing could take away this moment of accomplishment. As much as you hated to admit it, you were the perfect picture of satisfaction. While tomorrow still meant an audience with Prince Sidon, you could stomach one last meeting if it meant more profit for a teensy bit of effort. Think of what you could buy with all that literal gold!

Yawning softly, you set off for only the most pleasant of dreams. You felt that Hylia had finally warmed up to you enough to grant you at least one.

―――

“Your Highness, with all due respect... this has to be the most absurd plan of yours that the Zora Council has ever heard of in this court.”

The low drawl held a tone of annoyance that did not escape Prince Sidon’s ears, but he kept a fixed gaze nevertheless. The red-finned prince leaned ever so slightly towards the elderly council members and raised his clenched fists, which only defined his fiery determination. Towering over the entirety of his audience sat the esteemed King of the Zora, Dorephan, who watched over the meeting with an unreadable expression.

“Please, Muzu,” Sidon brazenly pleaded. “I understand that my proposal seems a little less than expected, but I would appreciate if I were given an opportunity to explain myself.”

Hushed whispers and barely-audible groans arose from the small number zoras gathered. Even with the pounding rain that enveloped the domain, the large royal chamber easily echoed and overpowered all other noise― at least, for the moment. To the zora prince, it seemed that the elderly insisted on gathering and arguing against his attempts to better his father’s kingdom, as if it were some obtuse game. Were they happy to pick apart his words and question every single proposal he provided?  
Perish the thought! It was only the council’s duty to advise and guide the decisions of both him and his father, as the prince and king respectively. They only wanted what was best for Zora’s Domain and its citizens, and he respected their words greatly in that regard.

A nasally, aged voice stood out from the murmurings of the council. “That is what we are here for, yes? To hear what our Prince has to say. Whether or not the initial proposal sounds absurd won’t change that, Muzu.”

Sidon heard a resentful scoff on the opposite end of the room, but ignored it as he politely nodded towards the old blue zora. “Thank you, Trello. I am grateful to have your support!”

Prince Sidon cleared his throat and spoke adamantly, echoing throughout the lustrous room.

“I am sure you have all been acutely aware of the issue regarding trade between Zora’s Domain and neighboring villages. Or rather, the lack thereof.” The royal zora turned to meet his father’s eyes.

“There is no doubt that we are a fine kingdom, which supplies even finer products, all exclusive to our way of life. From the trout we harvest to the ore veining our mountains, the zora people have assisted many other villages thanks to our trade agreement. However, the roads we used to follow have become rather dangerous in the last few years… for both parties, it seems. Sending our caravans along these trails has sadly proven this.”

The prince’s slitted eyes narrowed as memories of injured zora guards (followed by an empty and nearly destroyed caravan) resurfaced. Had he accompanied them on that day, perhaps the goods would have made it to Hateno safely. How he absolutely wished he could have been there! Alas, he remembered that his duties as a royal prince meant that he couldn’t follow every single trade mission for eternity.  
Besides, the soldiers enlisted for these tasks were by no means weak. The former sergeant in charge of training the brigade was strict and stubborn, and it showed in his trainees. Some could even hold their own against Sidon, which was a fantastic sight to behold!

He dismissed the plaguing thoughts and pressed on. “We cannot send every soldier in the domain for the simple task of delivering goods, as you all know. Our home needs protection as well! In addition, it seems that the monsters roaming Hyrule are increasing in strength as they are in numbers. This has led me to believe that there exists a simpler solution: finding other routes to our desired destinations.”

“That goes without saying,” a harsh cough interrupted. “One would think that your drawn-out explanation exists only to MOCK us old veterans.”

Speaking of the former Demon Sergeant, Sidon thought with an apprehensive frown.

“Seggin, I would never dream of mocking you, nor any of the other reputable council members here! Trust me, I will get to the point posthaste--”

The elderly zora sneered as he interrupted. “And waste our time entirely? We already know the problem, your Highness― but the solution you initially proposed is completely asinine! What sort of dependable plan relies on the help of a strange hylian you JUST met?!”

“Seggin!” There came King Dorephan’s warning tone. Immediately, all eyes snapped to the Zora King’s massive form. For a moment, only the rain outside could be heard, until the king spoke again. “My son is still in the middle of explaining himself, and you will not interrupt. When he is finished, you may speak... if and only if you have a viable question.”

Humility had rushed to the former sergeant’s face, and he quickly bowed his head and spoke in a significantly less irritable tone.

“My apologies, your Majesty.”

A brief nod from the king, and Prince Sidon gestured towards one of the attentive guards at the entrance of the room. Wordlessly, she handed the prince a roll of large, aged papers that were twine-tied into a rough tube, which he absently studied. All present zora, including King Dorephan, eyed the object curiously.  
“Finding new trade routes could render this issue nonexistent, and we could continue fair trade with Hateno and Kakariko village. However, we have long stayed near the rivers and lakes throughout Hyrule― which has numbed our understanding of the terrain surrounding it.”

Prince Sidon looked at the audience of councilmen. “And to make matters worse, no one among us practices such a thing. I daresay that not a single zora in this kingdom has even breached the boundaries of the Lanayru province in a century!”

“Not since Lady Mipha.” Seggin’s scoff rumbled low enough to be unheard by the king, but the faint whisper still reached the prince. Many other elders also heard, some nodding with a vexed air.

If Sidon had any strength whatsoever as a political figure in Zora’s Domain, this was certainly where it was tested. How often the elders insisted on clinging to the past, rather than the future of their kingdom. Did they not realize how grating it was on everyone? Did they not know that bringing up the same complaint they always did accomplished absolutely nothing? It seemed that their words only encouraged stagnancy, not the growth that Sidon strived for. 

The red prince bit his lip, and despite his best efforts to remain neutral among the royal council, he... couldn’t suppress the small smile that curled on his lips.  
No, he could never be discouraged! He would power on as he always did, like a true zora champion. Besides, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he undersold the abilities of that hard-working mapmaker he had met mere hours ago. They deserved high praise for their work!

“However, not all hope is lost!” Sidon gently tugged at the twine clasping the roll together, untying it. The yellowed papers shifted in his clawed hands, and he flipped an index finger through the rifling pages. “When I initially called for this meeting, I mentioned encountering a travelling mapmaker...”

Prince Sidon glanced down, beaming at the map he had first laid eyes on. What amazing detail! The cartographer must have had an eye for it, and he hummed proudly thinking this. He stepped off of the pedestal facing his father’s throne, and slowly made his way around the councilmen.

Muzu, who precariously took the crinkled map from Sidon’s fingers, eyed the crimson prince. He squinted to make out the inked features of the map.

The cartogram detailed the ridges of cliffs and a brush of trees― all of which were surrounding a group of neighboring squares and rectangles. Despite it being a bird’s eye view of the buildings, the artist still made a great effort to distinguish them. One had a thick, square chimney and was placed next to an imperfect, thatchy sphere. A villager’s personal silo, perhaps?

The old tutor trailed down to the bottom of the map, and read the messy scrawl of ink out loud. “I see… so they have been to Hateno Village before.”

“Yes!” Sidon exclaimed, giving the elder a wide grin. It was at the point where the prince could no longer help himself from rambling on in excitement. “And that is not the end of it! Oh, father--”

The royal zora practically tripped as he made his way to King Dorephan’s pedestal, earning a muffled chuckle from the parent as Prince Sidon eagerly held up the rest of the maps for him to see.  
“You would not believe how lucky I was to stumble upon such a traveler! I was going to attempt to reach Hateno blindly and see if I had any luck there, but Hylia was on my side today! I didn’t have to swim much further when I reached the Lanayru Bay and found them just sketching there on the beachside--”

It was an understatement to say that Prince Sidon was excited. Passion was practically leaking out of the man’s ears and onto the glistening stone.

“So I asked them for directions, and they flipped open this massive tome that was chock-full of maps! I couldn’t believe how many they had in their possession, but I bought up all I could of the Lanayru region to show you. That’s what I have here, father! Look at all of the hard work they put into every polished line! Every road, every town… this is the best mapwork I have ever seen!”

Rushing to King Dorephan’s throne, Sidon held out the rest of the thin papers for the king, like a beaming child proudly offering their crayon drawings.  
“And I know that, if we were to enlist this person as a royal cartographer for Zora’s Domain, we would not only solve the trade-route problem… but we would be giving them the position they deserve!”

“Your Highness!”

Sidon turned as King Dorephan took the collection of maps (pinching the small papers between his forefinger and thumb, carefully pulling it close to read it), and saw that Trello was the one who so sharply addressed him. The blue zora’s neutral gaze had contorted into one of piercing conviction.

“My apologies for the outburst, but I assume that is the rest of your explanation?” The shark prince nodded. “Then it is only the duty of the Zora Council to begin discussing this proposal and coming to an agreed conclusion. I will begin the debate, if you don’t mind.”

Sidon opened his mouth to answer, only to be stopped by a raised hand.

“Prince Sidon, how long ago was it that you first met the hylian? Feh, a rhetorical question. I am sure that not even a day has passed since you last spoke to the mapmaker, with the way you so vaguely speak about them.” The elder snatched a map out of Seggin’s clutches, earning a squawk of anger from the former sergeant.

“Now, I have a couple questions I would like you to answer, if you would.”

A confused yet cooperative prince nodded, returning to his original spot on the center pedestal. “Of course, I will answer everything to the best of my ability!”

“Alright, then. Considering that not a day has passed since your interaction with this miraculous traveller― I must ask you if you know this.” Trello cleared his throat, and his eyes bore into the prince resolutely. “What is this hylian’s name? Where do they come from, and do they have any affiliations we should be aware of?”

The court was utterly silent, and with the rain thinning out into light droplets, the silence was only amplified. An unsettlingly irritated air filled the room, mostly due to the older council’s impatience, but for reasons entirely out of Sidon’s reach. The prince furrowed his brow, arms folded, and searched his mind for anything he could scavenge… only to sigh and shake his head. How he detested not being able to provide an answer, but there was no escaping it.

“I’m afraid I do not know.” He frowned. “I had introduced myself and hoped they would do the same, but… they seemed eager to move past the formalities. They did answer my request for directions just fine--”

“Regardless, you know nothing about them. How can you be so certain that they aren’t a threat?” Trello interjected, causing a stir of harsh mumbling once again.

“Think about it, your Highness. The roads of Hyrule are not a safe place where just anyone can survive… and the traveler could be any number of things that could bring harm to the citizens here. They could be a vagabond of sorts, or even a member of the Yiga Clan, out for your head!”

King Dorephan halted at Trello’s words, and the towering zora stopped to look over to his only son. Prince Sidon, however, did not falter from the elder’s accusations and only stood taller, all the more determined to speak his mind.

“I am fully aware of the dangers, Trello. But I promise you that this--”

“That this hylian is different? Is that what you were going to say!?”

All eyes ripped from Sidon to Seggin. Out of all the seniors that filled the royal chamber, no one could possibly look as livid as the Demon Sergeant― who was long past his boiling point. The old zora was shaking noticeably, his throat barely muffling a ferocious gurgle and his pointed teeth showing through brittle lips. The black zora shoved Trello aside and pointed a curved claw at the stunned prince.

“Hylians will NEVER change,” he hissed out in a dripping venom. “It matters not, whether they are a common thief or a damned murderer! They all have a price to pay for what they’ve done to Hyrule… and most importantly, what they’ve done to poor Lady Mipha! And to think that her br-broth--”  
The zora sputtered for a moment, only enraging himself further as he tried slowing his speech down. In the corner of Seggin’s eye, Prince Sidon could see the faint glimpse of a tear.

“To think that a zora would suggest appointing one― a hylian that you have just met― based off of these scribbles! You know absolutely NOTHING about them. You don’t know what they are like, where they came from, what their bloody NAME is, and it’s all the same! I would much rather starve to death than give one a royal position! Isn’t that what landed us in this mess, your Highness?!”

Seggin crumpled up the yellow map he was flinging around with wild abandon, and threw it to the glistening stone floor with a cry. “What makes you think that this hylian is different? How can you prove that someone isn’t what everyone else thinks they are, when they have done NOTHING to prove otherwise?”

“I can prove it to you, Seggin. And I promise that I will,” Prince Sidon’s voice was level and unwavering as he took gradual steps to stand over the stunned elder, towering over him. 

“Just as my dear sister had proven it to you centuries ago.”

A rumble of whispers swept across the luminous floor, some zoras looking towards each other with uncertainty, while others shook their head in spatted discontent. The answer made just as much sense to King Dorephan, who at the time, was a second away from calling the guards standing at the room’s entrance to escort the tantruming Seggin from the court. But the king saw something flicker in his son that made him pause― whatever emotion it stemmed from, Dorephan determined, it was something he couldn’t yet identify.

Seggin was not easily intimidated, but he was indeed thrown off. The retired veteran shrunk only slightly from Prince Sidon’s lofty height. “What?! Explain yourself!”

The shark prince sighed, picking up the crumpled map and looking down at the elder.

“It truly pains me to say this… but I am disappointed in you. For someone who claims to love my sister like she was his own daughter, you are terrible at remembering exactly what she has done for you! Do you not remember your first meeting with her, Demon Sergeant?”

“O-Of course I do! She was my star pupil, after all!”

“Then you would realize that Mipha did the exact same for you.” Sidon gestured. “You weren’t aptly nicknamed as a fierce deity for nothing, you know. When you were still serving for the royal troops, you were the best fighter out of all the zoras! You were strong, ruthless, and had the eyes of a savage lynel, poised to strike up a victory in the name of the domain!”

Sidon tilted his head and gave a rather sympathetic smile. “And unfortunately… you were also the most feared.” From the very last word that dropped from the prince’s tongue, the veteran froze.  
“I’m sure that as time went on, you became very aware of this fact. As you trained skilled soldiers to become a successful part of the regiment, so too did you train them to cower before you, Seggin. The very air around you became charged with the art of war, did it not? But still, you never asked to be treated as such.”

“I… It wasn’t…” The zora furrowed and scoffed, shaking his head fervently and breaking away from his stupor. “It didn’t matter to me, your Highness! I didn’t need anyone to think--”

“But Mipha didn’t see you as a cold-hearted demon. She knew who you really were, despite what everyone else had told her.”

Prince Sidon straightened up, walking to the center of the room and addressing the entirety of the royal court once more. To the red zora’s surprise, not a single ugly mutter could be heard. Perhaps the other elders, remembering the times they shared with Mipha, could sympathize with Seggin… Or, the royal court was finally listening to what the prince had to offer, without barricading themselves with prejudiced tripe.  
Finally, Sidon’s tension was beginning to subside. He could finally convince them of the cartographer’s worth, and by the goddesses, the prince wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“People of the Zora Council,” he boomed, setting a palm over his heart. “All of you here know that I try to do what’s best for the domain. Even if my solutions seem a bit unorthodox at times, I would never go through with a ridiculous plan if it endangered the lives of our citizens. That is why I am adamant about bringing the hylian here.”

Without missing a beat, Prince Sidon bowed his head lightly.

“So please! Father, councilmen… We need to better understand the geography of Hyrule, and the hylian will greatly benefit us in that regard. I may not be as wise as my beloved sister, but I can still sense good within a person.”

The zora prince slowly uncrumpled the map that Seggin had thrown, giving a tender gaze to the intricate linework that veined it. “I believe... that is one of the few things we had in common.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little late on the second chapter, but it is lengthier than the last. Thank you all for the positive feedback, reading your comments really made my day! I'm holding myself back from responding to every single one, because I don't wish to flood the comments (but honestly... I really want to.) I am very grateful! But I will make it a priority to answer any questions.
> 
> Also, I mentioned having a wonderful Beta reader for this project: Brandon Labonté! He is not only a skilled editor, but ALSO an amazing artist, voice actor, and writer! http://darko-art.tumblr.com/
> 
> Basically he is the THE GREATEST, and if you have any interest in wonderful video game fan art, I highly recommend his work!


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